New publications

The controversial Academies initiative has become the British government’s ‘flagship policy’ to address school failure in disadvantaged communities within England. It is hugely expensive, and it is not the only approach to tackling these issues. The Academies Evaluation 2nd edition report describes parents as much more positive than staff about the representativeness, inclusivity and expertise of the Academies’ governing bodies. It reports that trade unions have a diminished influence in Academies. It also found, however, that staff, pupils and parents were broadly positive about the principals. Of eleven Academies open in 2004, six improved their GCSE (final school year certificate) performance, and five did not. The official response to the report from the Department for Education and Skills picks out supportive findings and makes disingenuous use of data, for example by removing ‘don’t know’ replies when reproducing survey results to create misleadingly favourable impressions. (Adapted from text of the TEN Policy Briefing)

In 2003, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) was commissioned by Britain’s Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to conduct an independent, five-year evaluation of the school Academies initiative in England. The Report provides an overview of the key findings to emerge from preliminary fieldwork and data analysis. The research has identified a number of positive findings. They include a generally positive endorsement of the sponsors’ role; strongly positive feedback, particularly among pupils, of the role played by Academy principals; and clear evidence of innovative approaches being adopted by Academies to curriculum, staffing, teaching and learning, and timetabling. Challenges for the initiative include work force development, particularly in terms of the balance between new and existing staff, and how to involve staff in decision making; a lack of clarity on admission policy for special needs students; and the persistence of bullying among students.

Formative assessment of student progress is pivotal in identifying student learning needs and shaping teaching practice. This study features a collection of eight case studies from secondary schools, as well as international literature reviews and policy analysis related to formative assessment. It examines such issues as benefits of, and barriers to, using formative assessment; policy frameworks and implications; and formative assessment in practice. Achievement gains attributed to formative assessment are reported as being quite high, but it is not yet practised systematically. This book makes the case for use of formative assessment and shows how it can be put into practice. (Adapted from the publisher's description)

The author reviews the USA's curriculum traditions, theories, reform and studies with a focus on historical developments. Research traditions, findings and developing research techniques are also covered. The second part of this book discusses improvement of curriculum in both classroom and school environments. Practical suggestions for teacher self-evaluation within these contexts are also outlined. See also the review in Curriculum Perspectives vol 25 no 1, p 68.

Emotional intelligence offers a way of understanding how we think, feel and act. This book presents emotional intelligence theory and related activities in a step-by-step format, educating readers about the impact that actions and behaviours can have on others. Teachers can use the concepts outlined to question how they apply emotional intelligence in their own teaching practice and classroom management, and gain practical insight from the issues explored. These issues include self awareness, motivation, empathy, recognition of choices and accountability for decisions and behaviours. (Adapted from publisher's description)